Matt, don't listen to anyone that tells you that you NEED to start with a specific language. There are many out there.
My advice to you: research something you like, find out how it was built, and practice building something like it.
Think about what you want to do with programming, and the languages will follow. Obviously if you're into front end webdev, you won't be touching cpp as much as you will be hitting on html, css, javascript, php (etc).
However, if you're into software design you may find yourself messing with the more technical languages like cpp and java (different from javascript - remember that).
As for the programs you mention: different schools name things differently, so check out the course schedules/requirements to get a better idea of what you'll be doing.
Good luck!
Thats great advice, thank you. Im very interested in the development of crypto currencies. Would that ne more software decelopment oriented?
One of the things you learn when programming a lot is how to search for an answer based on knowledge already up for grabs!
Instead of answering you, I'll give you a hint: some coins have their open source code on GitHub. Think of a currency you use, or a popular one that you don't, and see if you can find their code to look through.
If you're having trouble while searching, I think the last one I looked at was Curecoin's wallet app. Curecoin.io should have you covered there if you want to check.
Thanks for the advice! i will certainly look into it.